1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an apparatus for rehabilitation of the spine musculature.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various spine and back rehabilitation means are known in the art in which the user, supporting himself on a bench in substantially sitting position extends his back backwards while a suitable counterforce means leans e.g. on the shoulder region of the user and counteracts this motion. The user is fixed to the bench with a hip belt resembling the safety belt used in aircraft, by which the pelvis is meant to be held stationary during said motion. In the exercise motion, the back is extended freely in a manner which the user experiences as comfortable, and in suitable amount.
The drawback of existing apparatus is however that people are not accustomed to use their spine and back musculatures dynamically and therefore do not know how to use, in existing means, their musculature in a coordinated way when extending their spine: movement is mainly at the hip joint by action of the large muscles of thighs and buttocks in such exercising means, and the back and other musculatures proper which should be exercised goes nearly unused. This problem is in part due to the fact that in existing means the pelvis cannot be adequately immobilized: it is able to rotate and turn during the back movements, and hereby it becomes possible for the user to use his largest muscles, that is the thigh and buttock muscles in connection with the motion. Due to the free movement of the spine in existing means it is also impossible to control adequately the movement of the vertebrae of the spine. This control is invaluable for rehabilitation purposes, as most back problems are local in nature requiring carefully targeted mobilization.
Owing to the use of the above-mentioned muscles of the buttocks and thighs and an uncoordinated use of spine musculature there is a risk that exercising of the back takes place with wrong movements, causing excessive torsions and compressions in the regions of certain vertebrae, which may result e.g. in slipped intervertebral disks.